Hey Guys,
I have been dieing to get to this clean up project since I returned from Japan with this Victor RC-838 way back in August 2010. It's a fully functioning unit with 30 years of dust inside. It must have been in a basement or attic as it was REALLY filled to the brim with dust and dirt. But it was my personal deal of a life time as I only paid $4.60
But since I have had the "Louder Blaster" project opened up and on the table for months, I just couldn't bring myself to having 2 open radios on the bench at the same time. So I boxed up and set the "Louder Blaster" aside while I wait for parts and dedicated an entire rainy/snowy day to this one!
First of all, this is the Japanese version, so it's called a VICTOR instead of a JVC, It has a 76 through 90 MHz FM reciever, only AM and FM, no short wave and it's 100v instead of 120v that you would normally find in the USA.
A few months ago I purchased a 120v power supply for this radio, so I swapped that in while I had it torn down.
The first time I opened this radio I was mortified at what I saw. This thing is no empty light weight late 80's box, this is a mid 70's BRICK! Packed in every corner with vintage analog circuits and do dad's.
The biggest issue was figuring out how to take it apart. The first time I fiddled with the inside of this radio I was in Japan and really struggled trying to figure it out. I read a thread here on Boomboxery talking about how all the electronics comes out in one piece on a Chassis. So I started looking for a common thread and found it.
JVC/Victor COLOR CODED the screws on the inside. Purple screws hold PC Boards in place while BLUE screws hold the Chassis in!
Below is a chart a made to help you find them:
Once I was able to find them (took a while) then the tear down went quickly.
With the chassis out, you can see how filthy this radio ready was.
Well, there is only one thing to do next.....Hit the sink!
I washed out the front section of the box and then blew it out with an air compressor removing all water and the last of the dirt!
I think it looks pretty good!
The speakers were just PACKED with filth
A quick, light spray down with the air compressor and the speakers were looking fresh again, then back into the clean front section.
For some reason the cassette wouldn't play
Maybe it's all that DIRT 
Here are the two power supplies side by side.
Now with the new power supply in place
FRESH AND CLEAN INSIDE!
Here she is, reassembled
I will still need to go back in for a new main drive belt. But I took measurements so can place an order. The cassette deck does play how ever, it just starts out a little slow, but so do I
In the end, all switches were hit with DeOxit, All rubber wheels on the deck were cleaned and all surfaces scrubbed.
There is no more scratchy sliders or iffy switches. The Biphonic switch used to work 20% of the time. The Left VU worked 10% of the time and of course, the cassette didn't work at all.
This is a really great sounding radio, not really a "GHETTO BLASTER". But a really solid design, true to JVC quality, packed with great features of the day. Now she has 8 Fresh D Cell's on board and I will be taking this radio to the street in the next few days to use it for what it was built for, sharing the tunes!
I have been dieing to get to this clean up project since I returned from Japan with this Victor RC-838 way back in August 2010. It's a fully functioning unit with 30 years of dust inside. It must have been in a basement or attic as it was REALLY filled to the brim with dust and dirt. But it was my personal deal of a life time as I only paid $4.60
But since I have had the "Louder Blaster" project opened up and on the table for months, I just couldn't bring myself to having 2 open radios on the bench at the same time. So I boxed up and set the "Louder Blaster" aside while I wait for parts and dedicated an entire rainy/snowy day to this one!
First of all, this is the Japanese version, so it's called a VICTOR instead of a JVC, It has a 76 through 90 MHz FM reciever, only AM and FM, no short wave and it's 100v instead of 120v that you would normally find in the USA.
A few months ago I purchased a 120v power supply for this radio, so I swapped that in while I had it torn down.
The first time I opened this radio I was mortified at what I saw. This thing is no empty light weight late 80's box, this is a mid 70's BRICK! Packed in every corner with vintage analog circuits and do dad's.
The biggest issue was figuring out how to take it apart. The first time I fiddled with the inside of this radio I was in Japan and really struggled trying to figure it out. I read a thread here on Boomboxery talking about how all the electronics comes out in one piece on a Chassis. So I started looking for a common thread and found it.
JVC/Victor COLOR CODED the screws on the inside. Purple screws hold PC Boards in place while BLUE screws hold the Chassis in!
Below is a chart a made to help you find them:
Once I was able to find them (took a while) then the tear down went quickly.
With the chassis out, you can see how filthy this radio ready was.
Well, there is only one thing to do next.....Hit the sink!
I washed out the front section of the box and then blew it out with an air compressor removing all water and the last of the dirt!
I think it looks pretty good!
The speakers were just PACKED with filth
A quick, light spray down with the air compressor and the speakers were looking fresh again, then back into the clean front section.
For some reason the cassette wouldn't play
Maybe it's all that DIRT
Here are the two power supplies side by side.
Now with the new power supply in place
FRESH AND CLEAN INSIDE!
Here she is, reassembled
I will still need to go back in for a new main drive belt. But I took measurements so can place an order. The cassette deck does play how ever, it just starts out a little slow, but so do I
In the end, all switches were hit with DeOxit, All rubber wheels on the deck were cleaned and all surfaces scrubbed.
There is no more scratchy sliders or iffy switches. The Biphonic switch used to work 20% of the time. The Left VU worked 10% of the time and of course, the cassette didn't work at all.
This is a really great sounding radio, not really a "GHETTO BLASTER". But a really solid design, true to JVC quality, packed with great features of the day. Now she has 8 Fresh D Cell's on board and I will be taking this radio to the street in the next few days to use it for what it was built for, sharing the tunes!
